Mayor, opponent battle over alleged pay

Tuesday

Aug 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - The mayor's race turned nasty Monday as incumbent Ann Johnston accused opponent Anthony Silva of spreading a "blatant, outright lie" about her salary in a campaign email sent out by her challenger over the weekend.

Roger Phillips

STOCKTON - The mayor's race turned nasty Monday as incumbent Ann Johnston accused opponent Anthony Silva of spreading a "blatant, outright lie" about her salary in a campaign email sent out by her challenger over the weekend.

"Your Mayor Ann Johnston has just recently voted to give herself a $20,000 raise in the worst economic times for this city," begins the email, sent to Silva's friends on LinkedIn. "She now makes $102,000 and is rewarded for leading us to bankruptcy!"

On paper, the mayor's position pays $102,232. The city charter says the mayor's salary "cannot be less than the amount paid to the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for San Joaquin County."

Johnston, however, has refused raises twice since taking office nearly four years ago and has continued to receive the $82,088 salary established by the city's charter-mandated Salary Setting Commission in 2007. Johnston also takes the same furlough days as other city employees, reducing her salary to about $78,000.

"I did not accept (the pay increase)," Johnston said Monday. "It's all documented. It's a matter of public record. For him to suggest I did that is an outright lie. I find it offensive that this is being made an issue when it is not the truth whatsoever."

When asked Monday why he had sent an email stating Johnston is receiving a six-figure salary, Silva initially suggested she might actually be accepting full pay.

"How do you know (she's not taking the raise)?" Silva asked. "Because she told you?"

Johnston responded, "Those who have paid attention know it's not the truth, and I resent that outright lies are being propagated."

Silva admitted he had no evidence Johnston is receiving the raise.

"She has the authority to take it," he said. "She can take it at any time. She might not be taking it at this time. I don't think she is. But I think she plans to take it. It's my belief that she is going to take it, especially if she is re-elected."

Johnston said, "It doesn't surprise me. Politics is sometimes a dirty business and sometimes people play dirty."

The city's Salary Setting Commission was created as part of voter-approved Measure U in 2001. It has met twice since Johnston took office in 2009. Both times, it recommended the mayor's salary be raised to $102,232. Both times, Johnston refused the increase.

In an April 19, 2011, letter to the City Council, Johnston wrote: "The City is currently working to close an estimated $34 million General Fund budget gap. Therefore, I will again reject the Commission's recommendation and my salary will remain at the level recommended by the 2007 Salary Setting Commission." A week later, with foreknowledge that Johnston would decline the raise, the Council approved the Salary Setting Commission's recommendation, which puts the city in compliance with its charter's mandate for the mayor's salary.

Silva said Johnston and the City Council should repeal the on-paper increase to the mayor's salary. He said he would do so if elected and that if he becomes mayor, he "will not accept any salary until I have balanced the city budget and restored police presence."

Johnston said the city charter language mandating the raise needs to be changed, a task she said should be tackled following the Nov. 6 election. Referring to Silva's comment that he would decline salary until Stockton's budget is balanced, Johnston referred to the City Council's approval of its bankruptcy budget June 28.

"The budget is balanced," Johnston said. "That why we're in bankruptcy court. It's ridiculous. That's why we had to go into bankruptcy."